Penitent Saints

Basic Info

The Christian Church has always been interested in the question of sin and forgiveness. Individual Christians have also been interested as they think about their own sinfulness and their desire for a happy eternal life with God rather than a life of eternal damnation. At the same time, sin happens in human populations, in some eras more than others.

Becoming aware that one has sinned and has thus separated oneself from God is the necessary precursor to conversion, to turning or returning one’s attention or openness to God’s Law. But that awareness can take multiple forms. Becoming aware of one’s sins, one could feel guilt and react out of fear of God's punishment. Or, one could realize that by sinning one has rejected God's grace, and then choose to repent, turning back toward the grace God offers. The latter represents the ideal of repentance, but Christians have not always taught this positive approach to sin, teaching fear of God’s judgment instead. And the art tradition has likewise been on both sides of this fence.

Artists have depicted the horrors of hell and the glories of Heaven. But there seems to have been some awareness that these alone are not motivation enough. The art tradition has also portrayed what it looks like to repent. For the artists, this is a rich opportunity to convey some of the darker emotions.

Mary Magdalene has most often been the model of penitence for women; Peter the Apostle has served that role for men (the site has specific interpretive pages for the two of them). That said, other saints (especially Jerome) have also been portrayed as penitent, so this article presents a general tool for analyzing penitent saints.

Historical Notes

From the 15th through the 17th centuries, artworks depicting penitent saints were common. Mary Magdalene and Peter the Apostle were especially common in this context; Saint Jerome was also. But they weren’t always depicted as penitents. Each was also depicted in several other contexts.

What to Look For

• Physical appearance (hands, eyes, gaze, gestures, posture, expression, emotions, etc.)
• Clothing (rough, torn, simple, elaborate, etc.)
• Environment (desert, cave, indoors / outdoors, crowded / desolate, etc.)

Questions to Focus a General Interpretation

On the spectrum between fear-based repentance and love-based repentance, where does this artwork seem to fall?

Does the artwork emphasize a physical aspect of penitence, or does it emphasize the emotional aspect?

Does the artwork indicate God’s infinite mercy?

Questions to Guide a Personal Interpretation

Does the artwork affirm or challenge your dominant approach to repentance?

Does the artwork suggest a path toward God that feels attractive or at least doable?

Questions to Suggest a Historical Interpretation



What societal norms might have inspired the artist (or the person or church that commissioned the work) to emphasize repentance in this way? Does the artwork seem to be chastising, admonishing, or encouraging the audience in any way?